NBA Picks

NBA Picks: Back Spurs on the Money Line & ATS as They Lead & Bounce Back in Game 5 Against Clippers

The series between the Clippers and Spurs is finely poised 2-2, going into game 5 at the Staples Center. Can the Clippers bank on home advantage and take the lead? Find out with our NBA picks.

The Series Goes To Game 5
As it is, the Spurs and Clippers are level 2-2 in the series with the former winning game 2 and 3 and the latter winning the opening game and game 4. The Clippers came through as the 1.5-point home chalk in a 107-92 win in game 1. The Spurs quickly bounced back and reeled off two consecutive wins, taking game 2 in a narrow 111-107 win as the 2-point road dogs and then taking game 3 in a 100-73 blowout win as the 5-point home faves. In the last game, the Clippers rose to the occasion as the 6-point road underdogs to win 114-105; arguably, a must win game for them in order to send this series tied on a pair apiece to Los Angeles.

With the momentum shifting back-and-forth in this series, it's anybody's for the taking. It's the most competitive series of the first round in the opinion of many NBA bettors. And one thing is certain: there's going to be a game 6 for NBA bettors to sink their teeth into.

So how game 5 goes down is sure to have an impact on the NBA betting outlook for the upcoming game 6 in San Antonio. Let's get cracking with our NBA picks.

San Antonio Spurs (2-2, 1-1 away)
The San Antonio Spurs had their two-game winning streaked snapped in a 114-105 loss to the dogged LA Clippers at home this weekend. The upshot of which: instead of going into game 5 looking to clinch the series, the Spurs will try to take the lead at the Staples Centre and, thereby, turn game 6 of the series into a home-series clincher.

They go into the NBA betting landscape as the road underdogs, but nominally so, matched at +110 to win straight up and at 2-points against the spread. This is partly down to going 1-1 on the away in this series already.

It's worth noting that game 5 is a charm for the Spurs. Historical trends reveal that the Spurs are 23-8 (.742) in game 5's since clinching the first championship in 1999. This run of form is underscored by six straight game 5 victories over the last two seasons and a 15-1 mark over the course of their five title winning seasons.

Those are heady numbers indeed that highlight their value as the road underdogs for your NBA picks. Of course, it remains to be seen whether they make those NBA betting trends count again tonight.

LA Clippers (2-2, 1-1 home)
Buoyed by their win at the weekend, the Clippers will be looking to take the edge over the Spurs at the Staples Center, capitalising on home advantage in the series. Odds makers send the Clippers into this game as the decisive favorites, matched at -130 NBA odds to win outright and as the 2-point home chalk. By the numbers, though, they aren't runaway favorites and that is telling.

It's also worth noting that the Clippers' record in games 5 and 6 in the NBA Playoffs is a point of concern: they are 1-7 over the course of both games 5 and 6 since 2012. That failing could be the tipping point for this series.

NBA Betting Verdict:
The Clippers and Spurs have served up one of the most competitive series in the NBA Playoffs thus far, which makes it a tossup as far as the overall outcome goes. That said there are clear, guiding NBA betting trends to consider when making your NBA picks. That the Spurs have a tradition of success while the Clippers have a tendency to fall short of the mark. Of course, games are played on the court and not the page, as evinced by the NBA odds for this game. But there were plenty of positives for the Spurs to take from their loss in the last game in order to turn the NBA odds in their favor at the Staples Center. Look for the Spurs to bounce back and take the lead into game 6.